American operator CPKC and manufacturer, CSX has announced a collaboration to convert a diesel locomotive to hydrogen fuel cell power.
As an initial step in the collaboration, CSX plans to convert one of its diesel locomotives using a hydrogen conversion kit developed by CPKC.
“This innovative collaboration expands our hydrogen locomotive program beyond a single railroad and represents an exciting next step in proving the long-term viability of hydrogen as a solution to emissions reduction for our industry,” said Keith Creel, CPKC president and chief executive officer.
CPKC’s testing and development phase for its hydrogen conversion kit has taken 24 months and follows on from the initial announcement of the plans to convert a diesel engine to hydrogen, made in 2020. CPKC then developed and designed its prototype, with the engine passing 1,000 miles of testing.
The need for new fuel sources in North American rail is stark as nearly the entire freight locomotive fleet of all rail operators in the US consist of diesel powered units.
Joe Hinrichs, CSX president said of the deal: “CSX looks forward to working as a partner with CPKC in the development of the hydrogen locomotive program as it demonstrates our commitment to implementing alternative fuel solutions that could further enhance our emissions performance and offer our customers an even more environmentally-friendly transportation solution.”
The deal means that CPKC will be able to operate hydrogen locomotives on multiple railways across its network.
CPKC is the product of the April merger between Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific which created the first and only single-line railway between Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Image Credit: Istock
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